What is ataxia in dogs (cerebellar). The dog has poor coordination

Has your dog started to lose balance when turning and falling? , but not at all from the cold? Such symptoms are characteristic of ataxia.

Ataxia refers to genetic diseases in animals. For the disease to appear in a puppy, the recessive gene must be present in both parents.

Modern research methods make it possible to identify a hereditary mutation, therefore such dogs are not allowed to breed. But ataxia can occur against the background of other pathologies in the body. Let's try to figure out what factors contribute to the development of the disease, how cerebellar ataxia manifests itself and how to treat it.

Currently, there are methods to detect ataxia in dogs.

Causes of the disease

An animal can get the disease from its parents, but more often the pathology is acquired in the process of life. For signs cerebellar ataxia the following factors influence:

1. Previously transferred infectious diseases, in which the cerebellum was damaged.
2. Trauma to the skull with the formation of hematomas.
3. Brain tumor.
4. Damage to the cranial nerve.

Otitis media can cause the disease.

Symptoms of ataxia

Before making a turn, a dog with ataxia may crouch for balance.

Cerebellar ataxia is the most severe of other forms of the disease, and also difficult to cure. The cerebellum is the part of the brain that is responsible for the ability to move and coordinate in space.

• Cerebellar damage caused by injury or disease leads to problems with coordination and the ability to move and balance . Sometimes the disease causes the dog to lose spatial orientation. She ceases to navigate the area and does not even recognize her native places.
• With ataxia, changes in the dog's movement become immediately noticeable. . A “drunk” gait appears. The animal moves quite normally along a straight path, but when trying to turn, problems arise. When turning, the dog crouches, trying to maintain balance. If you turn quickly, you may not calculate the opportunity and fall.
• The disease tends to progress . Coordination problems get worse over time. A sick animal begins to bump into objects. The gait becomes like that of a goose.
• With ataxia, the pet suffers from attacks of dizziness . He may fall, and his eyelids will tremble. Many owners perceive the manifestation of nystagmus as. Even veterinarians sometimes misdiagnose the disease after seeing the animal's convulsive shudders.
• The dog trembles when trying to turn sharply or keep attention on a certain object . Very often this problem occurs during feeding. The pet cannot eat normally, as it begins to tremble and hit its face on the plate.
• The animal may panic, try to hide in the far corner and not go anywhere . Constant malnutrition, dizziness and panic attacks worsen the dog’s condition, progressive weakness appears. The animal is fading away before our eyes.

What should a dog owner be wary of? All of the above symptoms are difficult to miss; in addition, the pet has a constant tilt of the head, hearing may deteriorate, behavior and gait change. Difficulties arise when climbing stairs.

The pet requires a thorough examination to exclude the presence of other diseases.

How is ataxia diagnosed?

Confirming the diagnosis of ataxia is not so easy. There are no special diagnostics that confirm cerebellar (or other type) ataxia.

A blood test will be required for diagnosis.

The veterinarian's task is exclude other diseases that may cause ataxia-like symptoms . Only after identifying the cause of the disease do we begin to treat it.

Treatment methods

The cause of symptoms of ataxia may be a tumor or an infectious process. Therefore, the root cause will be treated.

• At tumor detection Surgery may be prescribed.
• For treatment of infections use antibiotic therapy.

Surgery is prescribed if a tumor is detected.

If it has been established that ataxia is a congenital defect, then special There is currently no treatment for this pathology . The doctor will prescribe maintenance therapy to maintain normal conditions for the life of a pet.

Therapy will consist of the following medications:

1. Sedatives and sedatives will be needed to eliminate panic in the animal and bring its nervous system back to normal.
2. Drugs for treatment motor disorders. They are selected and prescribed only by a veterinarian. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable and can lead to a worsening of the condition.

Loving your pet will help you learn to cope with illness!

A sick animal must be protected from injury. To do this, he is given a separate room, in which there is practically no furniture and no sharp corners. The disease gradually progresses, so the risk of injury increases.

The pet's condition can be satisfactory, even if the disease is hereditary. Therefore, you should not panic ahead of time and try to euthanize the animal. Many pets cope well with the disease. The body simply adapts to the lack of coordination.

Of course, it will be noticeable that the dog walks strangely: it places its legs incorrectly or raises its paws too high and lingers on every step. But this is not a reason to get rid of your pet. Good care good nutrition and love for a pet can work wonders.

Video about ataxia in dogs

The vestibular system is responsible for maintaining balance. The vestibular apparatus has central structures located in the brain and peripheral structures located in the inner and middle ear.

Vestibular syndrome in dogs refers to a sudden, non-progressive imbalance. Typically found in older dogs. In older dogs, this condition is also often diagnosed as idiopathic vestibular syndrome (occurring for no apparent reason).

What are the symptoms of the disorder?

Most dogs experience sudden losses balance, disorientation, head tilting and involuntary eye twitching known as nystagmus. Many dogs cannot stand or walk. Most dogs lean or fall in the direction of their head tilt.

What are the causes of vestibular disorder?

Causes of vestibular syndrome include infections of the inner or middle ear, medications that are toxic to the ears, hypothyroidism, and ear injuries and tumors. If the root cause cannot be determined, the diagnosis is idiopathic vestibular syndrome. These disorders are characterized by sudden onset clinical signs and their rapid improvement with minimal medical intervention.

How is vestibular syndrome diagnosed?

Diagnosis is made based on medical history, clinical symptoms and results of urine and blood tests. In some cases, a head x-ray is required to assess the mean and inner ear. Sometimes magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography(CT).

The diagnostic criteria for idiopathic vestibular syndrome are:

• old dog
• Sudden onset of symptoms
• No causes were found, no infections of the inner or middle ear, no trauma, hypothyroidism, etc.
• Symptoms improved within a few weeks

Treatment of Vestibular Symptoms in Dogs

Treatment for both central and peripheral vestibular syndrome depends on the cause of the disease, if one has been identified. In severe cases, supportive care and hospitalization are used until the dog is able to eat and walk independently. If the animal is severely disoriented or has ataxia (lack of coordination, cannot walk or stand), it may need sedatives. Antibiotics may be used in cases of ear infection.

What is the prognosis for dogs with vestibular syndrome?

Clinical symptoms associated with the syndrome are often most severe during the first 24 or 48 hours. The animal's condition usually improves within 72 hours. Head tilt and ataxia improve within 7 to 10 days. Most dogs recover fully within two to three weeks, although some will have residual symptoms, such as a slight tilt of the head. If the animal's condition does not improve or worsens, then it is necessary to look for the root cause of the disorder and conduct a thorough diagnostic examination.

Loss of coordination in a dog, or peripheral vestibular syndrome, is a rather alarming problem that can frighten even an experienced breeder. Very often without much apparent reason the dog loses coordination, cannot hold its head straight and even walk. All this is often accompanied profuse salivation, vomiting, rapid breathing and heartbeat, twitching of limbs.

If a dog sways from side to side when walking, falls and does not control its movements, then this can be for several main reasons. Quite often the problem is inflammation of the inner and middle ear or congenital anomaly hearing organs. In adult dogs, idiopathic vestibular syndrome is also common, which lasts about three days and goes away on its own. In addition, a sudden loss of coordination of movement in dogs can be a consequence of diseases such as:

• Tumor in the inner ear.

Treatment of impaired motor coordination in dogs.

If you are faced with a similar problem, but do not know why the dog is unsteady, you should immediately contact a veterinarian for a full examination. Identifying the cause is the most important factor and may require a range of diagnostic procedures, starting with ultrasound and x-rays and, in some cases, ending with a CT scan of the brain.

Further treatment is based on the established diagnosis and involves drug elimination of the causes. Unfortunately, in some situations, surgery may be required to solve problems, so if you notice a lack of coordination in your dog, prompt action is very important and will help alleviate the animal’s suffering.

Every person at least once in his life asked himself the question: “Why do people and animals walk upright and don’t fall?” The vestibular apparatus, which is a whole complex of structures united into a single system, is responsible for maintaining posture and orientation of the body in space relative to the horizontal.

A sudden imbalance causes vestibular syndrome, a neurological phenomenon often diagnosed in pets.

Causes of the disease

Conventionally, vestibular syndrome is usually divided into peripheral and central - depending on which part is affected.

Also, this neurological phenomenon can be:

• metabolic;
• neoplastic;
• inflammatory;
• traumatic;
• toxic;
• idiopathic.

Accordingly, treatment will depend on the causes of vestibular syndrome.

The peripheral form is diagnosed quite rarely and occurs due to damage nervous system affecting the inner ear. The more common form is the central one, which is much more difficult. This is explained by the fact that not only the vestibular apparatus is affected, but also other systems of the body, so many pathologies are fraught with death.

The causes of vestibular syndrome include:

• inflammation in the inner and middle ear;
• abuse of ear cleaners;
• consequences of brain injuries;
• polyps, tumors;
• violations hormonal levels;
• meningoencephalitis;
• chaotic reception of some medicines, in particular antibiotics.

Sometimes vestibular syndrome can be congenital or age-related - it is in such cases that we can talk about the idiopathic nature of the pathology, that is, when it occurs for no apparent reason.

Which breeds are more susceptible

Vestibular syndrome can be diagnosed in any dog, regardless of gender, age and breed. Thus, pathology is observed both in 3-month-old puppies and in elderly individuals. But still, there is a predisposition among representatives of some breeds.

According to statistics, the syndrome is most often recorded in German Shepherds, Tibetan terriers, cocker spaniels, beagles, Dobermans, fox terriers.

Main symptoms

The clinical picture of vestibular syndrome, often mistaken for a stroke, is quite extensive. The main sign to suspect pathology is loss of coordination in space. The dog begins to experience difficulty moving, walking with its head tilted, stumbling out of the blue, falling and spinning on the floor.

One more characteristic symptom is the occurrence of vertical nystagmus (eye twitching). In addition, the animal experiences salivation, uncontrollable vomiting, and dizziness.

At severe course disease, the dog stops eating and begins to walk on its own. In such cases, the question of euthanasia is raised as the most humane option.

Diagnostics in a veterinary clinic

To put correct diagnosis, the doctor, in addition to studying the medical history of the disease, needs to carry out the necessary diagnostic studies. These include:

• general and biochemical analysis blood;
• urine test;
• X-ray (to examine the middle and inner ear and assessment of their condition);
• MRI, CT (to determine possible structural changes in the brain);
• examination of scrapings from an animal's ear;
• a series of tests that determine the reaction of the nervous system to stimuli;
• fence cerebrospinal fluid(to detect the virus in the body);
• Ultrasound of internal organs.

The veterinarian must rule out pathologies such as inflammation of the inner and middle ear, nasopharyngeal polyps, as well as the use of certain medications (aminoglycosides) that have serious side effects.

Treatment method and prognosis

Treatment of vestibular syndrome is not possible in all cases. So, if we're talking about about the idiopathic nature of the pathology (congenital or acquired with age), are prescribed medications, alleviating the condition of the animal.

Pathology caused by an inflammatory infectious process is treated with antibiotics ( wide range actions). When treating otitis, it is prohibited to use ototoxic drugs belonging to the group of aminoglycosides (antibiotics, chlorhexidine).

Vestibular syndrome caused by oncology can only be eliminated surgically and chemotherapy. For hypothyroidism and other hormonal disorders, it is advisable to use replacement therapy.

With timely treatment, the dog’s condition stabilizes within three days. After 1-2 weeks, a decrease in ataxia and head tilt can be observed; after 3-4 weeks, recovery occurs. On at this stage physiotherapy is prescribed. However, it would be incorrect to talk about a final cure.

As for prognosis, a positive one is possible only if the syndrome was diagnosed in little puppy- there is hope that his vestibular apparatus will adapt to environment, and the baby will be able to live a full life. In other cases, this is especially true for cancer patients, residual effects make the animal suffer for the rest of its life.

What to do at home

Many owners have a question: “How to help a dog at home?” The answer is clear: strictly follow the doctor’s instructions and do not self-medicate, as it can lead to irreversible consequences. The maximum that can be done is to create a comfortable environment for the dog, provide it with good care and quality feeding.

As the disease progresses and the dog becomes completely helpless, the owner must be prepared for the fact that he will have to care for the pet, remove feces in a timely manner, and perform anti-bedsore massage.

Possible complications

The consequences of vestibular syndrome, even with timely treatment, can be very serious. A dog can simply turn into a “vegetable”. Particularly dangerous in this regard central shape pathology, since the factors that provoke its development have a detrimental effect on the central nervous system.

Prevention measures

Treatment of vestibular syndrome is a long process that will require considerable patience and endurance from both the owner and the patient. pet. To avoid relapses, you should carefully monitor symptoms and under no circumstances interrupt treatment, even if the condition has improved significantly.

To prevent the development of vestibular syndrome in your pet, you need to:

• feed the animal correctly;
• systematically walk;
• avoid situations where the pet may injure its head;
• immediately respond to any changes in the dog’s behavior;
• it is imperative to continue to treat diseases, especially for otitis media, which can subsequently cause serious problems with health.